Sweet Dreams
by RetardedFish97
Summary: There are unwritten rules for medical staff- like never get too involved with a patient's life. But when Zoe and Tess meet a young girl, with a broken arm, a bad attitude and a dark secret, they soon discover that rules are made to be broken. After all, you can only heal a patient once you discover what it is that's hurting them... (Rated T for violence and bad language.)
1. Fights and Lies

**Sweet Dreams**

**Hello! I have a confession… I ran out of ideas! This one took ages to come up with, but I hope it's okay. I'm going to need to start writing for some different categories soon! **

Tess arrived at work, and walked into cubicles. It was mayhem.

"Listen," Dr Hanna sighed, exasperated, "We can't help you if you won't let us!"

She and Linda were struggling to hold the girl in the bed still. She looked about twelve. Tess walked up to them.

"Can I help?"

"If you can calm her down, then yes Tess, you can help." Zoe sighed.

"What happened to her?"

"She was involved in a fight at school, the school haven't contacted next of kin yet."

"Okay."

…..

Tess looked at the struggling girl in the bed.

"Listen," She sighed, "if were to just calm down, then Dr Hanna can take a look at you and one of us can call mum or dad to come and sit with you."

"Yeah? Good luck with that!" The girl screeched, kicking out at Tess.

She dodged just in time, and sucked in a breath through her teeth. Linda looked at her sympathetically, while Zoe raised her eyebrows as if to say 'see what I'm dealing with here?'

Tess looked the girl in the eye.

"Why can't we contact mum or dad then?"

"Work it out, dumbass."

"Hey!" Zoe shouted, "That is enough! Would you just tell me please?"

"Jessica Smith. Happy now?"

"Not just yet," Tess sighed, "We'll need your address."

"12 Holby Road," the girl groaned.

"Thank you," Zoe smiled, (it was a very false smile.) "Linda, if you could get reception to contact someone for her, then that would be good.

"Okay," the nurse nodded.

…..

Zoe sighed and glared at the girl, but promptly stopped when Tess gave her an 'I can see you, you know' look. Zoe raised her eyebrows, then turned back to the patient.

"Right," She said, "Can we get around to finding out what happened?"

"I got in a fight, and my arm hurts."

"Okay then, let's take a look."

Zoe helped the girl remove her school blazer, and took in the arm.

"Ouch," she sympathised, "you've broken that."

"Never," the girl hissed.

Zoe chose to ignore it.

"Right, let's get you x-rayed."

She stuck her head out the curtains and beckoned Big Mac over.

"Big Mac? We have a _delightful _patient for you to take up for an X-Ray."

"Thank you, Dr Hanna," he sounded annoyed.

"Well, I am sorry if I need a porter to do… porter-ing."

"Ha, ha."

…..

Meanwhile, the girl's next of kin answered her phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello, this is Noel Garcia from Holby ED. A Jessica Smith was brought in today, and you were her next of kin."

"I'll be right there." The line went dead.

The person who had answered the phone was a seventeen year old girl, with long, chestnut brown hair and piercing blue eyes. She wore a black blazer and white, frilled blouse, with a black pencil skirt and black, high heeled shoes. She turned to her friend.

…..

"Mills, it's Jess- she's in hospital!"

"Oh, God- do they want you to go to her?"

"Yeah," the girl bit her lip.

"Okay," her friend sighed, "You've only got two more classes today, right?"

"Yeah- English and Law. But the Law class is really important!"

"Caitlin, it's A levels, all classes are important." Mills put on a teacher-like voice.

"I know, can you take notes on the English for me?"

"Sure, and can't someone take notes on the Law?"

"Yeah, I could ask Louise." Caitlin sighed.

"I'll ask her, just get to the office and sign out." The girl's friend replied, kindly.

"I can't just leave, Mills, my place here is hanging by a thread! Jess is always in some dilemma or other- teacher wants to see me, excluded, truant, got into a fight and needs to go home, and now she's in hospital!"

"Caitlin, come on, that's just how she is. You're doing a great job- twice the work anyone else is doing. Tell you what, English is my last class- then I'll get in the car and go back to your flat. I'll grab you two some things then come meet you, yeah?"

"Thanks, Mills. We'll go for a meal afterwards, McDonalds or something. My treat." She smiled.

"Yeah, it better be, I'm skint!"

"Yeah, well I'd rather be skint than living of inheritance from my many dead relatives." Caitlin hung her head.

"Oh, KitKat," Mills sighed, her voice soft and compassionate, "I'm sorry. Look, go now- tell them you're ill."

"It's not your fault and yeah, I will. See you soon, yeah? And thanks."

"No problem."

…..

Caitlin arrived a few minutes later. She walked up to reception, and was glad to find it clear of everyone but a receptionist.

"Hi, I'm here to see Jessica Smith?"

"Okay, what's your name, love?" Noel asked.

"Caitlin Smith," she replied, "I'm her sister."

"Okie-dokie," Noel replied. He tapped some keys on his computer, finally looked satisfied and turned to Louise.

"Louise, have you seen Dr Hanna anywhere?"

"Yes Noel, she's stood about five metres away from you?"

"Ah."


	2. Bad Memories

**Sweet Dreams**

**Hellooo! I think I forgot the intro to the other chapter, so here we go: Hi! This is my 5****th**** Fanfiction, enjoy! And please, please, please review if you do read this- even if you think it's the biggest load of rubbish you've ever read!**

**Thanks xxx**

Noel beckoned Zoe over to him.

"Dr Hanna? This is Caitlin Smith- Jessica Smith's sister?"

"Ah, Yes," Zoe took in the girl in front of her. She was well presented, pretty and friendly looking.

The girl offered her hand.

"Nice to meet you," She smiled.

Zoe shook her hand warily. After meeting the girl's sister, she was confused by the opposite personalities and attitudes. Another thing she couldn't get her head around was the fact it was her sister, not her mother or father, who had come to collect the girl.

"Nice to meet you, too. I'm Dr Hanna, and I've been looking after Jessica. I'm afraid she had broken her arm, and we're going to need a head CT because she is a bit…"

"Delirious?" Caitlin saw Zoe's face and laughed. "Don't worry, she's normally like that. She has ADHD."

"Ah," Zoe nodded, "We'll do a head CT just to be sure, she has got a cut where she fell against a sink."

"Oh, dear, can I see her?"

Zoe nodded, "I'll take you to see her now."

…..

When they reached the cubicle, Zoe pulled back the curtain to reveal the girl, sat on the bed in her tattered school uniform, talking to Tess more calmly than before as Tess put the arm in a sling. Caitlin walked in, her bag over her shoulder and her face concerned and upset, like any mother's would be. She sat on the end of the bed and looked at Jessica.

"Okay, Jess, what was it this time?"

"She took my mobile, and called me a freak!"

"Who did?" Caitlin asked, concerned.

"Allison."

"I'll call the school tomorrow, I take it she broke your arm?"

"Yeah, she called me a freak, so I turned my back on her. She spun me round and snatched my phone from my pocket, so I tried to grab it, then…"

"Then what?" Caitlin wanted answers.

"Then I hit her… in the face… and she threw me into the sinks…" Jess sighed.

"What did the school say?"

"That they'd find out what happened on Monday. But Allison's popular, and I'm a retard…"

"Jess! You are NOT a retard. And Allison won't be so popular when I threaten the school with legal action."

Jess smiled, and sank back into the bed.

…..

"Oh, I'm so sorry- I'm Caitlin, Jess's sister." Caitlin introduced herself to Tess.

"I'm Tess," she smiled.

Jess piped up, "It's that nurse, isn't it Caitlin? Isn't it?"

"What nurse?" Caitlin smiled, softly.

"The one who looked after me, when mum and dad…"

Caitlin turned to look at Tess.

"Sister Bateman?" she asked.

"That's me, yes."

"You looked after my sister and I, when we were in a car crash? Our parents died here. That's probably why Jessie flipped. Hospitals aren't good memories for her, or me."

"Caitlin and Jessica," Tess mused, "Your parents, they were May and Harrison Smith, weren't they?"

"Yeah, they were. You were the one who took us to the relatives room and sat with us until the social arrived. I was sixteen then, it was about four or five months ago. Jessie got taken into care, so did I- we stayed with our great aunt."

"Yuck," Jess wrinkled her nose up.

"Yeah, I think you can guess how that turned out." Caitlin laughed, "After the funeral, we found out that all of the inheritance was to be looked after by me, and shared between Jess and I. The house was sold to pay off all my parents debt, but there wasn't much of it and I used the rest of the money to buy myself a flat and move out of foster care. I got a part time job and a place in college, then applied for custody of Jess. I was amazed when I won."

…

"How are you coping?" Tess asked. "We all wondered about you, after you'd left."

"Quite well, considering what's happened. The inheritance money from our parents, and grandparents, and great aunt, is keeping us going- though I'd rather they'd all be alive than… this. I've got a part time job as a lifeguard, so I can always take Jessie to work with me. But, if- sorry, _when_- I get a call from her school, I have to leave mine to take her home, or to meet the headteacher and stop her being expelled. But this Allison's a bit of a cow, she's made Jess's life miserable for a while now. Not that the school care- but I'll sort it, Jessie, I promise."

"Is auntie Mills coming?" Jessica asked, looking hopeful.

"Yeah, she's going to bring you and I some things, then- if you're good to go, we'll go for a McDonalds or something, hmm?"

"I'll be good!"

"No, sweetheart, I mean if you're well enough to go! And you can have a few days off school while I sort this all out." Caitlin promised.

"Yay!"

Tess smiled at them.

"Everyone will be very glad to hear about you," she smiled, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll see if I can hurry up that head CT for you."

"Thanks," Caitlin smiled, as she watched Tess walk from the cubicle.

…..

Tess saw Sam as she left the cubicles.

"Dr Nichols?" she called.

Sam turned round, the words 'no way am I going to cubicles AGAIN' on her lips. Tess stopped her before she could say anything.

"Listen, those RTC casualties that came in here about five months ago…"

"Tess, in case you haven't notice, there are often RTCs. Why do you think I don't drive?"

"You'll remember this one. A May and Harrison Smith, both died here. Their daughters came in, the older had been babysitting the younger, Caitlin and Jessica?" Tess asked.

"Still nothing," Sam frowned.

"Jessica pulled a clump of Zoe's hair out and you had to help her sister, who was crying, drag her into the relatives room?"

"Ah, yes, I'm surprised Zoe didn't remember her." Sam smirked.

"Yeah, well- the patch of hair's grown back now, and she washed the blood out the rest of it. Not to mention, the pair look a bit different now. I think it's time to remind her…" Tess raised her eyebrows and went to find Zoe.

…..

"Dr Hanna?" She called, spotting her outside, smoking.

"Oh, just one cigarette Tess! I'm not hurting anyone but myself!"

"It's not about that, but while you mention it…"

Zoe sighed, and dropped the cigarette onto the ground, grinding it into the dirt with the toe of her shoe.

"What is it then?" She asked, irritable.

"Did you recognise the girl from earlier?"

"Not really, no Tess. I was too preoccupied with trying not to get attacked."

"What, like having your hair ripped out?" Tess hinted.

"That was HER!?" Zoe exclaimed.

"Mm-hmm. Her parents died here, remember? You were trying to pull her from her parents bedside, to go to social services."

"Yeah, I remember that. I always wondered what happened to her, and her sister. She was sixteen then, and cried a lot. Wow, they've both changed."

"Yes, I know- Caitlin used the inheritance to buy herself a flat, sold the house to pay off debts and got a part time job. She's attending college apparently. Jess is a different story. She has ADHD, and is always in some kind of trouble- that broken arm and head injury? She was thrown into a sink by a girl at her school."

"Yeah, well, it's hard to pity her, really. Is she still in foster care?" Zoe asked, masking her genuine sympathy for the girl.

"No, Caitlin has custody of her- that's why she's here now."

Just then, a black car parked in front of the ED, followed by a pale blue one.

…..

A woman from the blue car wore jeans and a T-Shirt, her hair pulled back in a ponytail and her face freckled and smiley. The woman in the black car was stern looking, wearing a black skirt suit and her hair in an elaborate style.

"Tia," she nodded at the kind looking woman.

"Miss. Star," Tia nodded back.

Miss Star walked up to Zoe and Tess.

"Hello, I'm headmistress of Holby Secondary school, I hear you have one of our students here?"

"Yes, Jessica Smith, I'll take you through to the relatives room," Tess smiled.

"Hi, I'm Tia- Jessie's social worker. I just want to check up on her, and meet Caity for a chat, see what she's planning to do about the incident at school.

"Okay, I'll take you there too. Dr Hanna is the doctor looking after Jessica, so she'll talk to you all."

Zoe scowled at Tess.


	3. The Headmistress

**Sweet Dreams**

…..

Zoe, Tess, Tia, Caitlin and Miss Star sat in the relatives' room. Jess was in a wheelchair beside Caitlin.

"Tia," Caitlin smiled, offering a hug.

"Caity," Tia accepted it with a warm smile.

"Miss Star," Caitlin nodded, smoothing Jessica's hair defensively.

Miss Star nodded back, "Miss Smith, what a pleasure it is to see you again, but what a shame that these are the circumstances."

"Indeed, what a shame it is that I now have to take legal action against one of your pupils."

The room fell silent, and Caitlin flicked a stray hair out of her eyes.

"I'm sure there's no need for that, Miss Smith."

"Well, I was hoping that too- but as this is the fifth time I have requested that something should be done about a certain Allison James, and the fifth time that nothing will be done, then I feel that's to only way."

Miss Star glared for a moment, before saying:

"Allison acted purely in self-defence after an attack from Jessica."

"No she didn't. I have it written here, as a statement taken from Jessica by me. Allison called Jessica a freak and snatched her phone, grabbing her and forcefully spinning her round. _That's_ the assault. Jessica hit out at her, _that's _the self-defence. Allison threw Jessica into a sink. That, Miss Star, is assault occasioning actual bodily harm. And, as the girls are over ten years of age, that is punishable by law. Now, either Jessica's phone is returned, compensation is paid and Allison is punished, or I'll take this to the police TODAY. Don't think I won't."

Tia rested a hand on Caitlin's shoulder.

"Good girl, Caity," she whispered into her ear.

"Right, Miss Smith. There will, of course, have to be a meeting with me and the two girls."

"Not without me being there you don't."

"Very well, the two girls and their parents or guardians," Miss Star scowled.

"I'd like to be there too, Caity," Tia smiled.

"Yeah, Tia, that's fine."

"Right then, I can meet you on Wednesday, in the morning- Ten o'clock?"

"Very well. I want all Jessica's work sent home until then. She will not be attending school, for fear of her safety. Thank you, Miss Star, Sister Bateman, Dr Hanna, Tia. I will be returning Jess to her cubicle now, if that's okay?"

Tess and Zoe nodded.

"I ask that you would leave us in peace, Miss Star, Jessica is very upset by what's happened."

…..

Jessica, Tess, Zoe, Caitlin and Tia returned to the cubicle together.

"I'd best leave you two alone. Well done, Caitlin. Is anyone bringing anything for you?"

"Mills is, yeah." Caitlin smiled.

"Ah, good. See you soon, yeah?"

"See you soon."

The pair hugged again, and Tia gave Jessica a careful hug, before smiling at Tess and Zoe and leaving.

"Right, now- Jessie, what do you say?"

"Sorry about your hair, Dr Hanna."

Zoe frowned, until Tess stepped on her toe, hard.

"That's okay." She smiled, glaring at Tess.

"Right, I've had it with this head CT. Tess, let's go see if we can hurry it up again."

…..

When outside, Zoe looked down at Tess,

"Why is it that the two shortest people here are so bossy and violent?"

"Pardon?" Tess raised her eyebrows.

"You and Sam- you're both so SCARY?"

"Who's scary?" Sam asked, popping up behind Zoe and making her jump.

Tess laughed at Zoe's fear.

"Dr Hanna was just saying how the two shortest people here- you and I, are bossy and violent."

"Thanks, Tess. I was just wondering!" Zoe moved away from Sam, nervous.

"Yes, well- it's called small man syndrome. Or, in this case, small-woman syndrome."

"Okay, that is NOT a medical term, is it?" Zoe smirked.

"No, but this is. Call us short again, and you'll wake up in resus needing an urgent head CT and X-Ray for a broken neck." Sam smiled.

"Message understood." Zoe replied, hurrying off to speed up Jessica's head CT.

…..

A few minutes later, and Jessica found herself inside the big, white machine, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Zoe studied the results onscreen.

"Tess, come look at this," she nodded at the screen.

Tess looked at it,

"It's clear, so why is it so important?"

"Because I don't want you to look at the screen, I want you to look at her sister, who's just left."

"What's up?"

She has a lot of bruising on her arms and legs.

"Do you think Jess hits her?"

"Probably…" Zoe nodded.

"Poor girl…"

…..

A while later, and Jess and Caitlin were sat in the small café, waiting for Mills and drinking- coffee for Caitlin, and a milkshake for Jess.

Zoe, Tess, Sam, Fletch, Linda, Louise and Noel were all discussing them.

"Do you remember them?" Sam asked everyone.

"Yeah- I remember having to clean up the mess that was Zoe's head." Linda replied with a smirk.

Zoe swatted her with the papers she had in her hand, and Linda dodged, laughing.

"You what?" Fletch laughed.

"The younger one ripped out a clump of Dr Hanna's hair." Noel explained, ignoring Zoe's death-glare.

Louise frowned.

"What happened to them, after all that?"

"Went into care until the funeral, then discovered that all their parents possessions and money were left to them. Caitlin brought a flat, got a part time job and a place at college, sold their old house and got custody of Jess."

"So, what- the seventeen year old girl has twice the responsibilities of an adult?"

"Well, No- not really Linda. She has a social worker." Louise snarled.

"Yes, that's true Louise. She also has a troublesome sister with ADHD, who she has to care for on her own, with nothing more than the occasional social visit, a part time job she needs to hold down, a college placement, where she is studying for A Levels and a house to run on her own. You hold down a full time job and the only person you have to care for is yourself." Zoe smiled, before flouncing off to discharge her patient.

Tess looked pointedly at Louise before following Zoe to Jess's cubicle. Linda glared at the mean receptionist and walked off.

…..

"Bit harsh, Louise, bit harsh." Fletch murmured, following Linda to the staffroom.

Noel just walked off to the other side of the desk and stood there, ignoring his colleague.


	4. The Drunk Man

**Sweet Dreams**

Tess and Zoe walked up to Caitlin and Jess.

"You two are good to go," Zoe smiled.

"Not yet we're not!" Caitlin smiled back, "My friend Mills is coming to meet us here."

"Ah," Zoe smiled.

"Half an hour ago." Caitlin finished with a sigh.

Tess and Zoe laughed a little, looking amused but pitying.

"You're both welcome to visit us any time, by the way," Caitlin smiled, handing over a piece of paper with an address neatly printed on it.

"Thanks," Tess smiled, reading the address.

…..

A few minutes later, and Mills arrived.

"Hey!" she called to Jess and Caitlin.

"Late again, Mills?"

"Yes, KitKat, late again. But I come bearing gifts!" Mills handed them a bag with a change of clothes for them both, and a get well soon bag of sweets for Jess.

"Go on then Jess, go get changed in the ladies yeah? I'll be there in a bit." Caitlin smiled, before turning to face her friend. "Mills, sweets? You know sugar isn't good for her."

"it's not good for any of us, KitKat- and besides, they're sugar free."

Caitlin laughed and hugged her friend.

"I guess I owe you that McDonalds…"

"Yes, yes you do." Mills replied.

"Or we could try out that new diner in town?"

"Mm," Mills mused, "Sounds good."

…..

When the two sisters had changed, and thanked Tess and Zoe once more, they headed from the ED towards their cars. Mills got into hers, a pink KA, while Caitlin steered Jess into their mother's old silver convertible.

"Can we pull the roof back?" Jess asked.

Caitlin sighed and rolled her eyes, pulling back the black, material roof to reveal the clean leather seats.

"Why did we keep mum's car, not dad's?"

"Because dad's car was the one they crashed in, honey, it was wrecked. The compensation money paid for mum and dad's funeral and gravestone, yeah?"

"Oh, yeah." Jess sank into a deep silence.

…..

They didn't talk much for the ten minute journey, so Caitlin turned the music up loud- it was Price Tag by Jessie J this time.

"I like this song," Jess smiled.

"Only because the singer's name is Jessica," laughed Caitlin.

"Yeah."

The silence resumed.

…..

When the three arrived at the diner, they had to park at the side of the road, because there were no car parks nearby. The diner looked small and cosy, and as they opened the door a little bell chimed to welcome them.

The floor was checked black and white, and the white walls were covered with paintings of celebrities from the 1900s. The tables were black, and surrounded by red and white leather sofa chairs; the counter and windowsills were painted in a matching red colour. Jess, Caitlin and Mills looked around themselves, impressed. They chose a table and sat down gratefully, picking up the yellow menus on the table.

"Mm, can I have a chicken burger with French fries, please?" Jess asked.

"Sure you can, Mills?"

"Um… oh! There's so much choice… but I don't eat much… just a side of curly fries, please."

"Yeah, I think I'll have that too." Caitlin nodded. "What about drinks?"

There was a list of different drinks, like fizzy and cups of tea.

"Ooh," Mills smiled, turning over the page to see that the back cover was dedicated entirely to milkshakes.

"Ooh, indeed." Caitlin agreed, "I'll be having the oreo milkshake then!"

"Can I have a coca-cola float, please?" Mills asked.

Caitlin nodded. "Jess?"

"A marshmallow milkshake please!"

…..

It took a while for the food to arrive, but when it did they were amazed. Jess's burger was huge, and there was a massive pile of straight, glistening chips beside it. The bowls of curly fries were enough to feed a small army, and have some left over. But it was the drinks that really stunned them.

The Oreo milkshake was a tall glass filled with pale brown milk, flecked with dark brown dots… Oreo crumbs. The top was covered in a tower of thick cream, a biscuit sticking out of the top. Jess's was similar, but with a pale white drink and the top scattered with marshmallows. Mills's float was huge, with a massive scoop of ice cream on top. It fizzed up and bubbled over, and all three laughed out loud. Caitlin thanked the waiter and they all tucked in.

…..

When they finished, Caitlin and Mills hugged each other goodbye.

"See you tomorrow KitKat?"

"Afraid not. No classes for me, luckily. I was hoping to make use of the IT suite and Library- no chance of that now, eh? Oh well, it's the meeting with Jessica's lovely Teacher the morning after tomorrow, so I'd better get my research done."

"How?"

"Go to the school and get a look at the CCTV footage." Caitlin smiled.

"Will they let you?" Mills frowned.

"Yes, but they won't want to!"

…..

Meanwhile, at the ED, Tess and Zoe were about to leave. Just as they did, a man of about twenty entered the ED, drunk and loud.

"Oi, you!" he shouted to Noel.

"How can I help you sir?"

"You can tell me where my bloody girlfriend is!"

"Hey!" Zoe shouted, marching up to him. "What is your problem?"

"My problem is…" he poked a finger at Zoe, "That my mate says my girlfriend was here, and I wanna find her."

"Well, if you just tell us her name then we could tell you!" Tess ran over to join Zoe.

"Caitlin," the drunken man shouted, "Caitlin Smith."


	5. Being Head of an ED Isn't Easy

**Sweet Dreams**

Zoe, Tess and Sam- who'd run out to help- looked at each other. Sam shook her head at them, mouthing 'don't tell him.' Zoe turned behind her and relayed this message to Noel.

"Sorry, I don't know where she went. She said something about going to stay at her mum's overnight."

"Her mum's dead, you lying cow!" The man screeched at Zoe, lashing out.

The blow caught her cheek and sent her flying to the floor, her eyes watering in pain. Her hand flew out to stop her fall, but it was too little too late. There was a crack as her wrist broke. Seeing this, the man fled, as Tess and Sam ran to their colleague's aid.

"Dr Hanna, are you okay?"

"Fan-bloody-tastic."

Sam smirked, "Let's see, shall we?"

Sam pulled Zoe up and helped her into a cubicle, drawing the papery blue curtains.

…..

She took Zoe's hand expertly in her own and frowned.

"You've broken that…"

Zoe sighed, "Nice one, Sherlock."

Sam smiled slightly at this, before looking at Zoe's face.

"Other than being bright red, your face seems fine."

Zoe frowned at her, before sinking back onto the bed with a sigh. She lay there for a while, one hand pressed to her head, the other laying limply on the bed beside her.

"What's up?" Sam asked, concerned. She sat lightly on the end of the bed.

"Nothing."

"Hey, Miss High-and-Mighty, just because you're head of the ED, doesn't mean you can't tell someone if you're struggling."

Zoe sat up in bed and looked into Sam's patient, yet expectant, eyes.

…..

"It's, well- it's nothing really. But I let Jessica and Caitlin Smith walk away. There still might have been more to it! But I was trying to be efficient, formal, uninvolved- everything Nick was!"

"Zoe, Nick was…" Sam's voice trailed off. She never usually minded speaking her mind- but this was Zoe, her boss.

"Go on."

"An asshole- if I'm honest. He wasn't efficient, he was brutal; he wasn't formal, he was snobbish; and he wasn't uninvolved, he was unfeeling." Sam bit her lip.

"Point taken," Zoe smiled, calming Sam down, "But what if he goes after her? Caitlin, I mean?"

"Well- if you want to be like Nick, then it's none of your business. You've healed Jess, now you don't have to worry about them. If you're really concerned, inform the police…"

"And if I don't want to?"

"Then use the address she gave you to go and see." Sam said, bluntly. She bit her lip, unsure of whether she'd spoken out of line. She often did- but soon regretted it afterwards.

"I have an ED to run!" Zoe protested.

Sam thought about this for a moment.

"You do, but going out for a lunch break for half an hour won't hurt, will it? Especially not if Tess agrees."

They saw the older nurse walking past the cubicle.

…..

"Tess?" Sam called after her, dragging Zoe out of the cubicle.

"Dr Nichols- and Dr Hanna- everything okay now?"

"Not really, Tess." Sam sighed, "We have good reason to believe that he's going to go after Caitlin- and if how he was here is anything to go by, then…"

"She's in trouble. So what is it you need then?"

"We both need our half hour breaks now," Zoe explained.

Tess frowned for a moment, unsure of whether she should allow them to go on their own. Then another thought crossed her mind. She saw Caitlin and Jessica in her mind's eye- the first time she'd met them, Caitlin sobbing her heart out, whilst trying to control an angry Jessica. She'd seen the hurt in both girls' eyes that day, and it was the first time she'd seen proper, protective love. She remembered Caitlin grabbing Jess's wrists and holding them gently, waiting for the girl to stop screaming and start crying. Tess had stood in the doorway, not knowing how, or wanting to, interrupt. Then she saw them the next time she'd met them. Jess had been fighting again, until Caitlin had arrived to calm her. Something clicked in her mind. Jess needed Caitlin, and if she was hurt then both lives would be thrown into turmoil.

"You can take your breaks, on one condition."

Zoe and Sam looked nervously at each other, then turned back to Tess, awaiting a request for extra hours, never getting cigarette breaks (in Zoe's case) or a request not to mind when they changed the colour of scrubs to luminous pink (Sam's least favourite colour.)

"I'm coming with you."

The two doctors hadn't expected that, but they were more than happy to oblige, as they had no extra hours, could still smoke and didn't have to dress like idiots in bright pink.

…..

A panicked car journey, and plenty of wrong turns later, Sam, Zoe and Tess arrived at the block of flats. They knocked found the right one and tapped the door, nervously.

"Who is it?" Caitlin's voice called. Zoe, Tess and Sam had only heard the frightened, fearing-the-answer tone in the girl's voice once before. When she'd asked if both her parents were dead.

"It's Tess and Dr Hanna from Holby, with a colleague of ours."

The door clicked open and Caitlin peered round it.

"Sorry," she smiled, beckoning them inside and closing and locking the door, "We have a couple of bad neighbours in the same block."

"Ah," Zoe smiled, stepping inside, Tess beside her and Sam behind her.

"This is a colleague of mine- Dr Sam Nicholls."

Caitlin looked at her.

"I remember you as well, you helped me carry Jess into the relatives room. She kicked you, didn't she? I am so sorry. Jess? Come here!"

Jess emerged from a room at the side of the spacious apartment.

"Oh, hello." She smiled.

"Jess, this is Dr Nicholls, I want you to apologise for hitting her."

"Sorry," Jess whispered, and Caitlin wrapped an arm round the girl's shoulders.

She smiled down at her sister. "Good girl."

The three women shuffled awkwardly by the door.

"Do you want a cup of tea?"

…..

Sam, Zoe and Tess sat in a long line on the sofa, clutching a white mug of tea each. They admired the room as Caitlin put Jess to bed, for it was nine o'clock.

"It's quite big, isn't it?" Tess whispered.

Sam nodded, looking around the minimalist, prettily decorated apartment. One wall was in fact a window, and a view of Holby at night stretched out in front of them. The sofa they sat on was lime green, and another raspberry pink one sat opposite it. A fluffy white rug was on the floor beneath their feet and a glass and pale wood table stood between the two sofas. There was a corner of the large space with beanbags, large cushions and blankets, with a massive flat screen TV in front of them. A smallish kitchen area was just behind the three women, a counter lined with bar stool-like chairs blocked the kitchen partially from view. Three doors led off from the room- one was closed, this was Jessica's room. Two were slightly ajar. One room was painted white, all apart from one wallpapered wall with raspberry pink and lime green swirls and flowers. There was a big double bed with leather headboard. The other room was a spacious, blue bathroom with a large bath and separate shower cubicle.

"It looks expensive," observed Sam.

Zoe looked around her, "Some of it's from her parents old house, but the rest of it was just a whole lot of inheritance money. Their parents passed away, the stress and upset killed their frail grandmother- who happened to have shedloads of money- and their great aunt died soon after. They've had a rough time."

"It shows." Sam murmurs.

"Sam, that's unfair!" Zoe complained.

Sam frowned at her, "No, I mean it. It shows. All this stuff, it's just so completely childlike. Beanbags and bright colours- but look around you. It's like a shrine to their parents. There are so many photos of them, and old possessions of theirs. And Caitlin, she's just so mature and motherly with Jess…"

Just then, Caitlin left Jess asleep and returned to talk to the three women.

…..

"Caitlin, we really can't stay long, we just needed to check you were okay."

"Why?" Caitlin asked, worried again.

Zoe bit her lip, "there was a man at the ED earlier, looking for you. He was very violent, and angry."

Caitlin gasped.

"No," she whispered.

"What, what is it?" Sam stood up, guarded and protective.

Caitlin stood up too and ran to Jess's room, to check the girl was asleep. She took moved a heavy looking chest of drawers to barricade the door.

"You mustn't tell anyone," she whispered.

"Why?" Tess's voice grew concerned. "Who is he?"

The girl sank once more into a chair, suddenly looking a mere child, not a mature adult. She held her head in her hands. Zoe and Tess sat opposite her, while Sam stood round the back of the girl's chair.

"He is, _was_, my boyfriend. He came round a few times- Jess was always away or asleep when he came, but one day… it was just after we'd… y'know," she trailed off.

Sam frowned slightly, the girl was looking younger and younger now- she couldn't even say 'slept together' without cringing.

"And he pulled me up violently and told me to pack my bags, and call someone to come and collect Jess. When I refused he got angry. He said that I would go with him, and I would work for him. He told me I'd be special, I'd earn the most and barely anyone would ever touch me… I didn't like where it was going so I grabbed a kitchen knife and chased him out. But I'm so frightened he'll come back."

Just then, there was a crash as the chest of drawers fell to the ground and the door swung open.

It was him.


	6. 1 Fall, 2 Kidnaps, 3 Emergency Services

**Sweet Dreams**

Caitlin leapt up, and slowly backed towards the big widow, pressing her back right against it, not wanting to think that the thin sheet of glass and middle-sized balcony were the only things that stood between her and a twelve foot drop. She shuddered and looked into his steely grey eyes.

…..

Sam, Zoe and Tess stood near to her; Tess and Zoe looked petrified, and both entirely vulnerable. Sam stood slightly in front of them, protective and ready to fight. The man was heavily built and very tattooed, his head partly shaven and an intricate design cut into the stubble. His hand clutched a flip knife, and his face was set in an angered glare.

"Caitlin- pack your bags, now." He ordered.

Caitlin shivered and shook her head, "No."

The man flipped the blade of the knife up menacingly.

"Now."

"What about Jess?" Caitlin blurted out, scared. She'd do anything to protect her sister, the doctors, the nurse and herself. One thing Caitlin couldn't stand was letting others suffer.

"She can go with them." He nodded to Zoe, Tess and Sam.

Caitlin drew up to her full height.

"Leave, now."

"No." he hissed. "I make the demands, and here they are."

"Leave Jess with them, pack your bags and come quietly. No one call the police. Do ONE THING wrong, and I'll kill everyone in this room, apart from you- I'll make you watch- then I'll drag you out of here by force, and there won't be special treatment for you."

"And if I come quietly? If I leave, they take Jess and no one tells?" Caitlin whispered.

Sam was outraged, "Not that it matters, because he will NOT take you."

The man flew at Sam, grabbing her hair and dragging her away from him, ignoring the shrieks of all four women as they tried to fight him off. He pulled Sam close to him, using her hair to pull her head backwards, so she could see the ceiling and nothing else. But she could hear what was happening, ask what was happening… feel what was happening. She could feel the cold, sharp knife blade pressed threateningly against her neck, feel his breathing leaving a warm, sticky patch on her collar, and feel his breathing pressing into her back, then subsiding again. She could hear Zoe and Tess pleading for her safety, and Caitlin offering herself up to him as an exchange.

"No!" she croaked, only to be pulled closer to her captor, and to have a knife blade pushed harder against her skin.

…..

"Pack a bag, say goodbye to Jess and meet me here. Oh, and I'd pack double the clothes you usually would- I'm taking this one as well."

On hearing this, Sam lost it.

"No!" She screamed, writhing around, grabbing the arm round her neck and pulling it hard, kicking out at him.

"Let her go!" Zoe protested, "Let them both go!"

She ran towards him to help Sam in the fight, and Sam slipped from his grip. She collapsed to her knees beside him, clutching her throat, helpless to stop what happened next.

He threw Zoe backwards, sending her crashing through the window and skidding along the balcony, slipping under the railing.

"NO!" Sam screamed, as she watched her friend disappear over the edge of the balcony.

On seeing what he had done, and seeing Jess emerging from her room, he grabbed Sam, shouted for Caitlin to come now, or he'd kill Jess and fled.

…..

Tess watched him leave, before running to look over the balcony. She couldn't see Zoe's body on the ground anywhere. Just then, she heard her name being croaked, from close beneath her.

"Tess?"

Zoe had caught the bottom railing, and was hanging on for dear life in the lashing rain.

"Zoe! HOLD ON!" Tess commanded, rushing inside, pushing Jess into her room and telling her not to come out until she came to get her, fearing the man would return. Jess had recoiled into her room, scared and crying. Tess grabbed a phone and dialled 999.

"_Which service do you require?"_

"All three!" Tess cried in panic.

"Okay, can you tell me what's happening there please?"

"A man broke in and kidnapped to of my friends, and threw another of my friends out a window. She's injured and clinging onto a railing for dear life."

The woman asked for the address, and Tess stayed on the phone to her, all the time she spent lying on her front on the soaking balcony, rain soaking into her skin and freezing her, clinging onto Zoe's jumper in an attempt to keep her alive. Finally, everyone arrived to save her.

…..

Meanwhile, Sam and Caitlin were sat in the back of an armoured car, scared.

"I'm so, so sorry." Caitlin whispered.

"How's this your fault?" Sam whispered back, holding Caitlin's hand tight.

"But still, I'm sorry. I can't believe what just happened. How do you think they all are, do you think they're okay?"

"Jess is, Tess is… but he threw Dr Hanna out of the window… she slipped under the balcony rail…"

Sam hung her head and began to cry, hot, angry tears splashing onto her lap.

"I should have let him take me, then she'd still be alive."

Caitlin frowned.

"As if. She'd have tried to save you, and he'd have thrown her out a window. We'd end up like this no matter what. It's set in stone. What we need to concentrate on now is getting OUT OF HERE." Her whisper turned into a nervous hiss.

"What is it he wants with you? Well, with US now…"

"Take a wild guess," Caitlin smirked.

"We HAVE to get OUT OF HERE!" Sam growled, kicking the windows. Caitlin grabbed her and dragged her into a sitting position, pinning Sam's legs against the seat.

"Listen, idiot, the better we behave, the less… y'know…"

"Yeah, I know. Another thing I know is that we're sat in an ARMOURED car. There is no way we're breaking out of HERE. But it might help if you told me EXACTLY what you know."

Caitlin bit her lip, "He told me that people usually stayed away from him, because of how he looked, but that he was a nice guy really. Apparently not, as we know now. We were in love, we did everything that people in love did. Until one day, when he tried to drag me out the house, and I chased him out with a knife. I never told anyone, but I'd lock and bolt all the doors, and neither Jess nor I went anywhere alone. But he must have got impatient. I can't believe I dragged all of you into this… you all helped my family so much…" Caitlin began to sob, glad of the screen dividing her from their kidnapper.

She and Sam spent the rest of the journey in silence.


	7. 1st Escape

**Sweet Dreams**

When the car finally stopped, he dragged Sam and Caitlin inside, and threw them into a room. There was one double bed, and a bathroom through the door. _Like a hotel_, Sam thought, sickened. Caitlin was stood, her back pressed against the door and her face fearful.

"I can't…" she whispered. "I thought I'd cope, for Jessie's sake, so he wouldn't go after her… but I can't."

Sam followed the girl's vision to the bed. She could tell the girl was thinking of what would happen there. And only too many times had a patient been in her care, after something like this had gone badly wrong. The more she thought about it, the less she could stand being in that room.

"You know what? I don't think I can, either."

"What can we do?" Caitlin sighed.

"Look around. See what we can use to GET OUT."

…..

Meanwhile, Dixie and Jeff were sat in the kidnapped girl's lounge, Dixie with her arm comfortingly round Tess's shoulders, as the nurse shivered despite the blue blanket they had wrapped her in. She and Jeff had just heard from Tess and Zoe- who was sat next to Tess, with Tamsin's arm round her own shoulders, dripping wet and shaken after her fall- the entire story of what happened.

"It's okay love, you've told the police, they'll find him."

"I can't believe what's happened though. To our Sam, and Caitlin…" Tamsin murmured.

Zoe shuddered, "I can. I don't want to, but I can imagine exactly…"

Tess nudged her in comfort and agreement, "It makes me feel sick. I'll never sleep tonight."

Dixie looked at her, "Me neither, Tess, me neither."

"Good thing we're working nights then!" Tamsin grinned at her.

Tess and Zoe laughed weakly.

…..

Sam and Caitlin were searching the bedroom and bathroom high and low, desperate to find some means of escape.

Caitlin slammed the final drawer and broke down crying. Sam looked up from under the bed and sat beside her. She wrapped her arms round the girl's shaking shoulders.

"Anything?" she whispered.

"Nothing! Did you?" there was little hope in Caitlin's voice.

"Sort of," Sam smiled, "I have a plan."

"Being?"

"Well, if we can tempt him in here, we can tie him to the bed and just run like hell."

"If…" Caitlin murmured, "Just what I need."

Just then, they were interrupted by him walking in and interrupting them.

…..

"Settled in?" He smirked. "No customers yet, but I'm sure you'll do fine."

Caitlin glared at him. He raised his hand and slapped her hard round the face, sending her flying to the floor. Sam gasped as she saw what he had done, but kept quiet so he wouldn't hit her as well. Instead, she turned her attention to something he was holding in a plastic bag. Needles- she guessed what they contained immediately.

"I don't take drugs." She said, bluntly.

"Course you don't, and you shouldn't. Not when you have customers, anyway. But I thought you could use them to… settle in?"

Caitlin looked at the plastic bag. "Yes, please."

He chucked them to her, smirking, and left the room. As soon as he had done, Sam tried to snatch the packet away.

…..

"What the heck are you doing?!" She hissed.

Caitlin looked at the packet, "Making the most of being here. They might make it go away."

"Or they might kill you."

Caitlin looked at the needle, and pulled it from the packet. She squirted its contents onto the floor.

"Ok, you lost me." Sam sighed, looking at Caitlin for an explanation.

Caitlin held up the empty needle, "There has to be something, anything, here, that we can use to…"

Sam looked at the needle, then grabbed it from Caitlin.

"You genius," she smiled, "Anything, anything at all might work. But first… let's take a look around."

Sam opened their door, glad to find it locked, and stepped out into a hall. Caitlin stood behind her. They continued to wander, lost, until they bumped into two girls, clearly drugged.

"Excuse me," Sam decided to ask them, regardless, "But we're new here…"

One of the girls looked at Sam, then Caitlin. Her eyes lingered on Caitlin for a moment.

"She's so young…" She whispered. "I'm guessing you'll work most of it out. There's some stuff to eat downstairs if you're hungry."

"How many girls are here, exactly?"

"In the twenties, I think. Girl's keep running away, but he just brings them back."

"Hasn't anyone tried to, y'know, knock him out or kill him." Sam frowned.

The girl grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Yes, and he's snapped their necks. Don't try and run, he'll treat you worse. Just stay put."

"Thanks for the advice," Caitlin steered Sam away, pushing her into her room.

…..

"Nuh-uh. No way. I cannot, cannot, cannot do this. I'd rather die. In fact, help he open this window, I'm jumping."

"Just CALM DOWN!" Sam interrupted, grabbing Caitlin's arms and pinning them to her sides. She saw that the girl was crying and wrapped her in a hug. They stood there for a few seconds, before something clicked.

"Wait, _can _we open the window?" Sam turned to the glass and looked down. They were only on the second floor.

"We could jump…" she whispered.

Caitlin frowned, "We'd break our legs, then how'd we run?"

"True… maybe we could climb down."

"Down what?" Caitlin sighed, looking at the sheer drop into a dank, dirty street.

Sam was sat, grinning, on the bed. She pulled up the two thin sheets and pulled off the four pillowcases.

"Here, tie these together- and tightly."

Caitlin sat down and did as Sam said, tying the leopard print silk into a rope. Sam began to shred the bedsheets into strips, knotting them together. Finally, they tied them together to make a long, thick rope. Sam tied it to the bed and lowered it out the window. It was a mere metre away from the ground. Sam only stopped to grab the needle and fill it with air, before climbing from the window and landing lightly on her feet. Caitlin followed her afterwards.

They were free… until he walked in and saw they were missing, and the rope they'd use to escape.


	8. Death

**Sweet Dreams**

**Hi, sorry this is so late, but I had to spend a week fighting my arch nemesis, and coming up with a plan for revenge- any ideas, feel free to PM me (:**

Sam looked up and saw his face.

"RUN!" she commanded, pushing Caitlin down the street.

The man behind them swung his huge, tattooed frame out of the window and slid down the rope. He hissed as it burned his hands. Sam stopped at turned for a second, and in that second, everything went wrong. Caitlin fell over, grazing both knees and twisting her wrist round. The man wrapped his muscular arm around Sam's neck.

Sam writhed in his arms, kicking her legs out wildly.

"Get OFF ME!" she screeched, twisting her body round in an attempt to get out of his grasp. Her once pristine clothes were now dirty and torn. Her face was streaked with dirt and blood, and her hair hung limp and wavy. To anyone watching the scene, she looked… she didn't want to imagine how much she looked like the other girls in that hateful house.

…..

"Right, stay still and shut up," he snarled, dropping her to the floor.

Sam and Caitlin scrambled towards each other, and huddled together on the floor. Sam could feel Caitlin shaking beside her, and draped a weak arm around the girl's shoulders.

"Please…" she whispered.

"Please what?" snarled the man. He put on a girlish voice, "_please don't hurt me? Please let me go? Please don't KILL ME?!" _

His voice rose threatening, and he crouched down so his face was so close to Sam's, she could smell his breath… alcohol… she gagged at the smell.

"Tell you what," he smirked, "you come back with me now, and we'll say no more about this little escapade… you try and run again, and I'll BREAK YOUR BLOODY NECKS!" he shouted.

Just then, the three heard a window creak open behind them. It was late evening, and a party full of teenagers was in full swing.

"HELP US!" Sam shouted up to them, "CALL THE POLICE!"

The man lunged at her, grabbing her hair and dragging her to the house. Caitlin followed behind them, loyal to Sam and scared of him.

…..

He dragged Sam inside and threw her against a wall. She hit against it with huge force, and slipped down the wall, nearly unconscious. Her eyelids fluttered. He reached behind him and dragged Caitlin inside, slamming the door as he did so. He turned to see Sam slumped on the floor, with only the wall propping her up, and his lip curled with rage.

"GET UP!" he shouted.

The shout seemed to wake Sam from her daze and she scrambled to her feet. Her eyes took in the scene. They were back in THAT house. She sighed and looked him in the eye.

"Let me go," she whispered. "Let us go, let us ALL go."

His eyes fixed onto Sam, and he sniggered.

"As if… what could YOU," he pointed a finger in her face mockingly, "do to ME?"

…..

As he spoke, Caitlin reached around his side nervously, and grabbed the handle of the flick knife that was sticking out from his pocket slightly. Slowly and carefully, she slipped it from the pocket. Her hand wrapped around the handle triumphantly.

"I could… kill you," Sam suggested.

"As if! How would you ki…"

The knife in his back finished his sentence a few words short. He sank to his knees to, and the bloodied blade dropped from Caitlin's hand. She was terrified.

Caitlin looked at him nervously.

"Sam, what do we do now?" she whispered.

"I guess… now… I guess you tell the girls here that he's not going anywhere, and they can run or stay and talk to the police. Suggest they DO talk to them. I'll… call the ambulance and try to stop him dying."

…..

Sam looked around her and saw a mobile phone lying on the floor, near her captor. She scooped it up and dialled 999.

"Ambulance, please and police."

"_What's your emergency?"_

Sam sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead.

"A friend and I were kidnapped from her flat earlier today?"

"_We have that incident written down. Am I talking to Dr Samantha Nichols?"_

"Yes, that's me, yes."

"_What's happened? Where are you now?"_

"I have NO idea- can you trace the call?"

"_I'll do that now. What's happening?"_

"I am currently trying to save the life of my kidnapper, who's just been stabbed in the back. Caitlin Smith's upstairs, along with god knows how many other kidnap victims." Sam almost laughed at how daft that sounded. She glared at the man on the floor for a moment.

_I hate you… I should let you die, after what you tried to do… after what you DID do, to those girls…_

"_I'll stay on the phone to you…"_

"Don't," Sam sighed, "I can cope on my own. Just… get here soon."

She hung up.

…..


	9. The End of The Nightmare

**Sweet Dreams**

"Sam!"

Sam looked up from the CPR she had long ago deemed hopeless to see Dixie and Tamsin. Tamsin looked at the Sam's clothes, now dirty and torn, and wrapped her paramedic's coat around her. Sam realised that she'd been shaking, and smiled weakly at the brunette paramedic.

"Thanks," she whispered, handing over control of the CPR to Dixie. Caitlin and the other girls upstairs had heard the sirens and were crowded round the balcony. Most were staring at their now-dead captor with wide, scared yet happy eyes. Tamsin looked up and them and nudged Sam.

"Sam, take Caitlin and get in the ambulance, yeah? He's dead, right Dix?"

"I'd be lying if I said unfortunately, but yeah, he's gone."

Sam and Caitlin walked outside, and sat in the back of the ambulance. Sam pulled the door closed and stood looking into the reflective glass of the window.

...

Her face was covered in bruises and cuts, and a clump of hair was missing at the back. She slumped onto the bed and looked at Caitlin.

"I wonder what's happening in the real world."

"Jess'll be freaking out, and Tia will be desperately trying to control her… I doubt she'll put her in a foster placement tonight, Tia'll take Jess to stay with Mills, my friend, who'll be just as scared and probably angry. Stuff like this gets her angry. How about you?"

"I don't think anyone will miss me, not much. Zoe…" her voice trailed off. She couldn't say the world _died._

Caitlin put her arm awkwardly round Sam's shoulders, and Sam laughed quietly. A solitary, single laugh, amused at the situation.

"Someone has to be missing you, you're one of the bravest, kindest people I've ever met. I couldn't help but notice a particular doctor… little bit dopey looking, quite sweet. I think he checked on Jess after a while. Chatty, kind… he kept smiling at you… Dr Kent, that was it…"

"Tom?" Sam laughed, "I'm not sure… there's nothing really going on…" she gave up the pretence. After what had just happened, who cared?

"We've kissed twice."

Caitlin smiled, "there you go then! He'll miss you. Listen, I bet they ALL miss you."

Tamsin opened the door, Dixie stood slightly behind her.

"Too right, Sam, we've all been completely freaking out over you. As soon as Linda and Fletch heard, they grabbed all the staff that were leaving and made a search party. In fact, Dix, you'd better get someone to call them sharpish, or they'll be searching for these two all night. Tom's been all quiet and angry looking, I tell you- if that guy who got you turned up in the ED Tom would have given him a lethal injection before you could say 'absolutely 100% obsessed with you,' which is exactly what he is. And as for Jess, she and your friend Mills are at the ED after she aggravated her arm in one of her… moments…"

Caitlin sighed with relief, and Sam just stared at her hands, absorbing the information.

…

Soon, they were at the ED.

"CAITLIN!" Came a cry, said by two people at the same time- Mills and Jess. They hurtled towards her and embraced her in a strong, never-going-to-let-go hug. Sam looked bewildered as her companion disappeared from her side, but soon she found herself wrapped in a strong pair of arms… _Tom._ She turned round to face him and wrapped her arms round his neck. After they had stood like that for a long time, he pulled her through to the staff room for some time alone, away from the eyes of colleagues and patients.

He looked at her for a while, as if he wanted to remember every detail of her face- from the strawberry blonde hair, now tangled and matted, to the once pale-ish skin now stained with purple bruises. Then they were kissing, and the world didn't matter for a moment. Until reality flooded Sam's mind. She pulled away and looked at Tom.

"Zoe fell off the balcony…" she whispered, tears springing to her eyes.

"No she didn't," Tom smiled slightly, "she grabbed the railing underneath and Tess held onto her until help arrived. She's fine, if a little shaken. She's sat in cubicles 'recovering'."

Sam's eyes widened. She was about to ask to see her, but Tom was already pulling her to a cubicle, the blue paper curtains pulled shut. He pulled one aside slightly.

…..

"Dr Hanna? I'm sorry to wake you, but I thought you'd want the news on Sam and Caitlin?"

"Are they okay?" Zoe gasped, sitting up hurriedly.

Sam emerged into the cubicle. "I'm fine," She smiled, seeing the woman she thought was dead.

"Sam! Oh my god, we thought you were…"

"Dead? Well, your disappearing of the balcony act made me think YOU were dead…"

Sam sat on the end of the bed, and Tom stood across from her. She told them everything, glad to be relieved of the information, and not having to suffer under it any more.

**THE END!**


End file.
